Report: Flamboyant American fires last round 69 to finish on top of
leaderboard ahead of Jordan Spieth and win at Augusta National for second
time in three years

Bubba Watson gave history the cold shoulder here at the 78th Masters on Sunday by winning his second green jacket in three years in clinical style.

The patrons turned up here anticipating witnessing either the youngest Masters winner or the oldest.

The latter never seemed on, despite the valiant attempt by Miguel Ángel Jiménez in fourth, but for the first few hours of an enthralling drama, Jordan Spieth, 20, looked likely to replace Tiger Woods in the record books.

Except that Watson, 35, was not in the mood to allow a seismic generational shift. Perhaps next year.

Augusta is now Bubba’s playground, the unique venue where his unique variety of skills are heaven matched.

With a 69 and an eight-under total he prevailed by three shots, making the last few holes a procession. Never mind the back nine on a Sunday being the key to the Masters, this was all about the front nine.

Maybe, just maybe, Spieth started off too fast, emptying his tank of irresistible exuberance too soon.

Sharing the overnight lead with Watson on five-under, the young Texan birdied the par-five second to grab sole advantage and after Watson had bogeyed the third, Spieth assumed a three-shot cushion when he dared to chip in from the greenside bunker on the treacherous par-three fourth.

Yet the dominance was all too brief. Watson had struck his tee-shot to eight feet and he duly holed to reduce the lead to two.

Spieth bogeyed the fifth, but as if to highlight the quality of this duel both birdied the par-three sixth, Watson holing an eight-footer while Spieth applied the necessaries to a quite wonderful tee-shot to three feet.

The rookie - who was also trying to become the first debutant winner since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 - was at it again on the seventh, twirling in his approach to seven feet.

Spieth raised his hand to welcome his fourth birdie in the first seven holes, and the lead was two again. America had its new hero.

It doubtless still does, but Augusta has its new course specialist in Watson.

He knows exactly when to press and in two holes effected a four-shot switch as Spieth went bogey-bogey and he went birdie- birdie. The ninth was critical; a 12-footer giving Watson the two-shot momentum as he turned to tackle the famous back nine where so much can happen.

And when Watson bogeyed the 10th, it appeared there was plenty of life left in this tussle. But then on the par-three 12th, that little gem of a hole, Spieth watched in agony as his ball span back into the water in front of the green and despite bravely getting up and down for the bogey, Watson was two clear again.

He extended it to three after firing a ridiculous drive down the par-five 13th. Spieth was stunned by the power.

At this point the Swede Jonas Blixt appeared in the Watson wing-mirror alongside Spieth on five under after birdieing the 13th.

Yet Watson never seemed in trouble. To show the confidence of the man, this self-taught magician, he actually went for it on the 15th with the trees in his way.

The wise play was to chip it down in front of the creek. Not for Bubba, however.

He twisted the ball around the bark and through the leaves and nonchalantly walked forward as it plopped over the water and on to the green.

It ran over the back, but no matter. Watson could take no worse than five.

And so it continued, with the galleries silenced by the mastery. Watson sliced his drive on the 17th, but he conjured an escape route and walked up the 18th in the blissful knowlegde of assured victory.

Many of the cheers were reserved for Spieth, who so nearly defied logic. He will be back, but for now had to content for joint-runner-up on five under.

Blixt is a live Ryder Cup candidate. The 29-year-old joined the European Tour last year and Paul McGinley, the Europe captain, will be very interested as he is clearly a big-time player.

He has played three majors and in the past two has come fourth and now second. Gleneagles could well be his stage.

Jiménez did his prospects of becoming the oldest Ryder Cup player no harm, the 50-year-old shooting a 71 to finish one ahead of the Americans Matt Kuchar, who shot a 74, and Rickie Fowler, who shot 73. Lee Westwood was one shot further back on one under in seventh.

The Englishman’s latest quest for a major came unstuck when he double-bogeyed the fourth, having found the bunker and three-putted from 10 feet.

There will be those who roll their eyeballs, but Westwood will carry on the pursuit.

At 56, Bernhard Langer shot a 69 to finish in a tie for eighth, the same mark as Rory McIlroy, who at last has a Masters top 10 to his name.

McIlroy will long rue Friday’s 77, but will take a lot from Sunday’s 69. The Welshman Jamie Donaldson shot a 70 to come in a highly commendable tie for 14th on one over alongside Justin Rose, who fired a 74.

But this was Watson’s week. With Mike Weir winning in 2003, Phil Mickelson three times since 2004 and now the Bubba double, there will be many theories raised about Augusta being a left-hander’s paradise - six in 12 stagings.

Yes, as Lee Trevino said, it is easier to control a fade than a draw, but what cannot be overlooked is that like Mickelson, Watson has the length, the touch and the creativity Augusta demands.

Watson rises to fourth in the world. For the moment, and who knows, perhaps for the immediate future, he is Augusta’s No1. Bubbalicious, indeed.